New Oakley Eyewear Highlight NBA Star’s Basketball and Music Skills

Sports performance eyewear brand Oakley is no stranger to big athlete collaborations.

Recently, the brand's latest collaboration with NBA star and Milwaukee Bucks point guard

Damian Lillard introduced the second iteration of the star's Signature Series Latch Panel.

Lillard has been an Oakley ambassador since 2021.

Since becoming an ambassador, Lillard has played an active role in shaping the design of

the release, combining his skills and influence as a basketball player and a recording artist.

The launch is supported by a campaign featuring an original spoken word track by Lillard,

who works as a musician under the pseudonym Dame D.O.L.L.A. The piece focuses on

themes of community, resilience, and the foundational support that drives his journey. Lilliard poetically navigates his two worlds — life on the court and nights in the recording studio — to celebrate his versatility as an athlete and music artist.

In a statement, Lillard describes the collaboration as "an incredible journey," allowing him to

combine design elements that reflect his experiences and growth "on and off the court." The new eyewear comprises Oakley's lightweight, durable BiO-Matter in a full-rim, gray-ink frame. The details on the frames are inspired by the aesthetic of a retro microphone and the

sleek finish of a vinyl record. The sunglasses also include Oakley's signature Prizm Lens

Technology, specifically designed to enhance color and contrast. There's also a unique

Dame D.O.L.L.A. etching at the top center of the lens.

Other Oakley releases and collabs

Like Lillard, Oakley has always committed to combining two separate realms — athletic

function and innovative design. To help bring the brand's vision to life, Oakley collaborates

with various figures and icons across industries, whether sports or esports.

Today, some of Oakley's other notable sunglasses releases and collabs include the NFL-

inspired Players Collection, with four new pairs named after legendary high school football

programs: Chaminade, De Soto, De La Salle, and Belleville. There is also the newly

announced collab with popular esports organization 100 Thieves, which recolored the iconic Radar® EV Path® shades in the org's colors.

The new Signature Series Latch Panel with Damian Lillard follows Oakley's previous release

featuring athletes from various fields. The 2023 lifestyle campaign introduced new designs

for the brand's BXTR and HSTN models. Lillard helped redesign the HSTN, while soccer

stars Kylian Mbappé and Alexia Putellas showed off the funky-colored BXTR.

Damian Lillard — on and off court

Lillard was named the NBA Rookie of the Year for the 2012-13 season. With the Portland

Trail Blazers, he made seven NBA All-Star selections and became the franchise's all-time

leading scorer. In 2021, he won a gold medal for the US Olympic team. Lillard was traded to

the Milwaukee Bucks in 2023.

Most recently, the point guard has been recovering from a blood clot in his right calf. Lillard

was sidelined after being diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis, a condition that has affected other basketball players in recent years. San Antonio Spurs star Victo Wembanyama was also recently benched after a blood clot in his right shoulder. Lillard has since been receiving blood-thinning medication to reduce the blood clots and stop the condition from worsening. Thus far, the Bucks are confident fans may see him back on the court soon.

As musician and recording artist Dame D.O.L.L.A., Lillard owns a record label, Front Page

Music, which includes Brookfield Duece in its roster. In 2020, Lillard featured Snoop Dogg

and Derrick Milano in his single "Kobe" for the soundtrack of the video game NBA 2K21 as a

tribute to the late Kobe Bryant. Most recently, Lillard featured in Hong Kong cantopop boy

group Mirror's single, "Day 0", which was released in April 2024.

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Weeknd and Anitta's special performance in São Paulo.